Community installs safety improvements at 4th and Channel St
Just before 9pm on Friday February 27th, a driver struck and killed a 2 year old child crossing the street at 4th and Channel and injured her mother. This was the third time in 2026 a driver killed someone outside of a car in San Francisco and since then, two more have been slain and many more injured.
This came three years after a driver killed another child just two blocks away at 4th and King St. These crashes were as preventable as they were predictable, yet SFMTA has failed to take meaningful action after this or any other.
Mayor and SFMTA fail to act
In the past five years, 138 people have been killed in traffic violence across San Francisco. However, the mayor's office and SFMTA has done precious little to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. Details of fatal crashes and suggested safety improvements are required to be published within two weeks. Examining these suggestions reveals just how ineffective their leadership has been:
| Type of suggestion | Count |
|---|---|
| No changes proposed | 46 |
| Refresh paint Repaint existing road markings with no modifications |
33 |
| Add or extend daylighting This is already required at every intersection by state law |
19 |
| Modify traffic signal equipment or timing | 15 |
| Repair a broken streetlight | 12 |
| Add an advisory sign Includes things like "Senior center" and pedestrian crossing signs |
12 |
| Add a regulatory sign Includes additional speed limit, stop, or yield signs |
12 |
| Add a speed hump | 2 |
| Reduce the number of vehicle lanes | 2 |
| Add plastic delineators | 1 |
| Add No Turn on Red | 1 |
Out of all the 138 crashes resulting in fatalities since 2022, one third of them, resulted in no recommendations for any change whatsoever. The other most common recommendations, like refreshing existing paint, has done absolutely nothing to address the root cause of crashes or protect vulnerable road users.
Community steps in
While the city has yet to publish the exact cause of the crash at 4th and Channel St, we have been given no reason to believe that any modifications will be made to the intersection to make people safer.
This is a complex intersection where streets meet at skewed angle, which worsens sight lines for people driving. The MUNI T line also runs through here, which regularly experiences delays due to traffic.
With this in mind, community members installed a "curb extension" using temporary materials at the southwest corner. The vehicle lane here is unnecessarily wide, and turns can be taken at high speeds with a poor view of people crossing the street. By tightening this turn and returning more space to people outside of cars, these community members have demonstrated that changes can be quickly made to improve the safety of this intersection.
This intervention is by no means a silver bullet, and there are many more steps that SFMTA must take here. They can start by making this installation permanent, as well as banning U turns and right turns on red from all approaches. Research has shown that these changes can make a real difference in protecting vulnerable road users.
A vision for the future
So far, even the modest actions our representatives have taken have been reactive in response to a crash, not proactive to make our streets safer and more pleasant.
Mission Bay is a new neighborhood in San Francisco filled with people of all types, including families. It is well served by MUNI rail and bus lines and hosts many visitors attending Oracle Park and Chase Center. There are two schools, a park, and a grocery store within 500 feet of this intersection, yet the street grid is designed with the standards of last century.
The Mayor's Office has shown little interest in presenting a vision for our streets and public spaces that differs from the status quo. In his place, we would like to present a vision for what could be, given the political will:
Community members in Mission Bay and across the city deserve access to spaces that put their needs first whether they are walking to school with their children, shopping for groceries, or enjoying park space. Returning precious public space to other uses like outdoor dining, greenery, protected cycle paths, and transit is how we achieve mobility and climate justice for all.
Take action
If you agree that no one should die while travelling on our streets, you can start by emailing the Mayor, your Supervisor, and the SFMTA by clicking here.